Post by cowcharge on May 8, 2012 10:57:30 GMT -5
I replaced both rear corners on mine from the inside, but I still had to pull the j-rail off and open the skin a few inches to each side of the corner because of all the big screws that you see, and all the little nails or staples that held the skin to the rotted frame pieces. You'll see them when you pull the wood out, there are a lot of them, and they will be in the way of the new wood unless you get them out. And if you don't replace them the skin won't be attached to the frame in that corner by anything but the big j-rail screws, which is asking for another leak. On mine, the side skin was stapled to the frame, then the rear skin wrapped around the corner and was stapled in as well. Wear some leather gloves so you don't get dozens of little cuts from the edges of the skin like I did 
It's also a bit of a struggle to get those new long corner pieces up into the corner past all the horizontal frame pieces, having some space outside will make it easier to wiggle them into place, and you can even screw them into the horizontals from the outside if you want, without the kreg.
Plus, it makes a lot more sense to reseal the whole length of the back j-rail than to try and just stuff the visible leaky spot, much better to have one continuous piece of putty tape than to try and make a joint that will seal. And there could be a second layer of putty tape between the two skins that also needs to be replaced if you really want to fix the leak properly.
Yes, definitely get a kreg jig. The junior model only has one drilling hole, so it's easy to fit into place inside the wall when you have to. I've used mine to tighten up loosely-stapled joints without removing either piece of wood, because the staples were loose enough for me to rotate one piece of wood into a position where I could clamp the kreg for drilling on the "top" surface. Drill your holes at each end, then remove the kreg, rotate the wood back where it belongs, and drive the screws. Take your time and have fun!
It's also a bit of a struggle to get those new long corner pieces up into the corner past all the horizontal frame pieces, having some space outside will make it easier to wiggle them into place, and you can even screw them into the horizontals from the outside if you want, without the kreg.
Plus, it makes a lot more sense to reseal the whole length of the back j-rail than to try and just stuff the visible leaky spot, much better to have one continuous piece of putty tape than to try and make a joint that will seal. And there could be a second layer of putty tape between the two skins that also needs to be replaced if you really want to fix the leak properly.
Yes, definitely get a kreg jig. The junior model only has one drilling hole, so it's easy to fit into place inside the wall when you have to. I've used mine to tighten up loosely-stapled joints without removing either piece of wood, because the staples were loose enough for me to rotate one piece of wood into a position where I could clamp the kreg for drilling on the "top" surface. Drill your holes at each end, then remove the kreg, rotate the wood back where it belongs, and drive the screws. Take your time and have fun!